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CONNECTION
(Columbia KC 31766 © 1972)
TRACK LISTING
Put It Where You Want It (Joe Sample / arr.
Sam Falzone)
Alone Again (Naturally) (Gilbert O'Sullivan
/ arr. Milcho Leviev)
Superstar (Webber-Rice/ arr. Milcho Leviev)
I Feel the Earth Move (Carole King / arr.
Dick Halligan)
Theme from The French Connection
Conquistador (Reid-Brooker / arr. Hank Levy)
Roundabout (Anderson-Howe / arr. Fred Selden)
Chain Reaction (Hank Levy / arr. Hank Levy)
Goodbye to Love (Carpenter-Bettis / arr.
Fred Selden)
Lean on Me (Bill Withers / arr. Earle Corry)
Train to Get There (Dick Halligan / arr.
Dick Halligan)
| PERSONNEL |
| Don Ellis |
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trumpet, electric trumpet, flugelhorn |
Saxes & Woodwinds |
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Fred Selden - alto sax, flute, soprano
sax, piccolo, alto flute
Vince Denham - alto sax, tenor sax, soprano sax, flute, piccolo
Sam Falzone - tenor sax, clarinet, flute
Gary Herbig - baritone sax, soprano sax, clarinet, flute, oboe |
Trumpets & Flugelhorns |
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Glenn Stuart
Bruce MacKay
Paul Bogosian
Gil Rathel |
French Horn |
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Sidney Muldrow |
Trombones |
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Glenn Ferris
Ken Sawhill - bass trombone |
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| Tuba |
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Doug Bixby |
Strings |
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Joel Quivey - violin
Earle Corry - violin
Renita Koven - viola
Pat Kudzia - cello |
Rhythm |
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Jay Graydon - guitar, bag
Milcho Leviev - piano, Fender Rhodes, organ, clavinet
Dave McDaniel - bass
Ralph Humphrey - drums
Ron Dunn - drums, percussion
Lee Pastora - conga
Carmelo Garcia - timbales, percussion
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REVIEW
I'm intrigued by this album for some reason. It's definitely not Don's
best, but why he went in this direction, I'm not sure. Connection
consists mostly of pop tune covers, all in odd time signatures, and none
of them (save but Don's own "Theme from the French Connection")
are arranged by Don. After a bit of sorting, there is some material worthy
of the Ellis band (Hank Levy's "Chain Reaction" which almost
doesn't fit in this setting), along with some eyebrow-raising stuff (Don
singing through his flugelhorn at the end of "Alone Again"),
and a few surprises (I think that the end of "Goodbye to Love"
sounds better in 7/4 than in 4/4).
I want to know who's idea it was to record this bizarre album! Who would've
thought that Don would be recording songs by The Carpenters, Yes, Procol
Harum, Bill Withers, Carole King, etc. And why
aren't the soloists given credit? Who is playing the trombone solo on
"I Feel the Earth Move?" Kenny Sawhill?! The band is tight,
but sounds a bit sterile (possibly from either being in the studio or
the constraints of the material). Like most of Columbia's 1970s jazz releases
the rhythm section is brought to the forefront ("Kids today love
that rock 'n' roll music!") and the horns are pushed way back, almost
to the point of inaudibility (ie, the French horn on "Conquistador").
I listened to the CD closely and the mix is exactly the same as the vinyl.
Don's trumpet is completely buried on "Chain Reaction," both
in the melody statement and the improvisation. You have to strain to hear
what he's playing. The saxes have the melody at the end of this chart
and you can't hear them at all. Again, the rhythm section is recorded
and mixed very well; Lee Pastora's congas sound great. It's frustrating. The exact same production plagued other big band albums that Columbia released in the 70s. Manhattan Wildlife Refuge comes to mind. Hey, when is that album going to be reissued?
Don rightfully won a "Best Instrumental Arrangement" Grammy for the
"French Connection" track.
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